This is a versatile chutney that goes well with idli, dosa, vada and rice.  Today, I served this with vada.  I named it tomato onion pachadi because my mom and aunts make this chutney without onion.  Only after marriage, I saw my athamma  adding onion to tomato pachadi.  Hence, I named it tomato onion pachadi.

Total Time: 12 – 15 minutes (excludes cooling time)
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 7 – 10 minutes
Serves: 3 – 4

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp Oil
• 5-8 Curry Leaves
• ½ tsp Mustard Seeds
• ½ tsp Jeera
• ¼ tsp Methi Powder (opt)
• 1/3 – ½ cup chopped Onion
• 3-4 Garlic Cloves sliced
• 8 Green Chilies slit into 2 (adjust to taste)
• ½ Turmeric
• 1¼ tsp Tamarind Paste (adjust to taste)
• ½ tbsp or 1 ½ tsp Salt (adjust to taste)
• 1 large Tomato chopped or 1 cup chopped tomato (I use vine ripe tomato)
• 2 tbsp dry roasted Sesame
• 1 – 2 tbsp dry roasted Peanuts
• Cilantro for garnish (I did not use it today, as I was out of it)

Preparation:

• Heat oil, add mustard, cumin and allow to splutter.
• Add onion, curry leaves, garlic and green chilies.
• When chilies change color, add turmeric tomatoes and salt.  Mix well,  cover and cook until tomatoes are soft. Turn of the heat.
• Grind sesame and peanuts to fine powder.
• Add these powders, tamarind and little bit of kotmir to the tomato mixture and let it cool.
• Grind it to fine paste adding some water, if required.
• Taste it and adjust the tanginess and salt.
• Garnish it with cilantro and serve it with rice, dosa, idli or vada.

Note:

• Peanuts can be substituted with sesame powder. I have made it a few times using only sesame powder.
• I use vine ripe tomatoes and find these tomatoes more tangy than the other variety.  Adjust tamarind paste depending on the tomatoes degree of tanginess.  Also, I use homemade tamarind paste.

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